Hunger Games News: Possible Director Chosen for CATCHING FIRE

Those of us who are die-hard Hunger Games fans have been scared and timid about the kerfluffle surrounding the choice of director for the second installment of the series. Many criticized Gary Ross for the shaky camera work and his declining to stay on to film Catching Fire. Ross was said to have issues with the timeline for the release of the second film. Many fans tend to agree that the November 2013 release date is unrealistic.

Now news is surfacing that LionsGate has tapped director Francis Lawrence to take the helm of the next film. Lawrence is known for his film adaptations of I Am Legend and Water for Elephants. Personally, I was rather unhappy with the film adaptation of Matheson’s vampire-themed short story even though I’m not going to kick Will Smith off the screen. But, who knows how much Lawrence had to do with the screenplay. I was much happier with Water for Elephants. Clearly he can direct action films with other titles like Constantine and I Am Legend on his resume. However, his film resume is rather short. He seems to have done quite a few music video DVDs but I’m not sure how that experience will translate to the big screen besides perhaps ensuring that this movie has a kick ass soundtrack.